Tailoring the crystal orientation of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) has attracted widespread interest because of its effects on the ferroelectric properties required for various electronic devices. In this study, we investigated the epitaxial growth of PVDF-TrFE on a chitin film for developing triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The crystallographic match between the chitin and PVDF-TrFE enables the development of the intended crystal orientation, with the PVDF-TrFE polarization axis aligned perpendicular to the substrate. In addition, the epitaxially grown PVDF-TrFE on chitin not only enhances the performance of the TENG but also increases the stability of the hygroscopic chitin film against water. The corresponding TENG exhibits a significantly higher output current compared to that of a nonepitaxial PVDF-TrFE/chitin film. Furthermore, the triboelectric sensors based on epitaxial PVDF-TrFE/chitin films allow the monitoring of subtle pressures, suggesting that tailoring the crystal orientation of PVDF-TrFE is a promising approach for developing high-performance TENGs.Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) strongly resists standard therapies since KRAS-mutated cancer cells harbor endogenous resistance toward chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) activate stroma cells to create the nearly impenetrable matrix. Herein, we developed a tailored nanocomplex through the self-assembly of synthetic 4-(phosphonooxy)phenyl-2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate and Fe3+ followed by hyaluronic acid decoration, realizing chemodynamic therapy (CDT) to combat PDAC. By controllably releasing its components in a GSH-sensitive manner under the distinctive redox homeostasis in cancer cells and TAMs, the nanocomplex selectively triggered a Fenton reaction to induce oxidative damage in cancer cells and simultaneously repolarized TAMs to deactivate stromal cells and thus attenuate stroma. Compared to gemcitabine, CDT remarkably inhibited tumor growth and prolonged animal survival in orthotopic PDAC models without noticeable side effects. This study provides a promising strategy to improve the treatment of PDAC through CDT-mediated controlled cancer cells damage and reprogramming of the stromal microenvironment.Although fluorescence-based analytical methods have been used in intracellular analyses, their sensitivity is low for the precise analysis of intracellular proteolytic enzymes to observe cell apoptosis related to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, a metal-enhanced-fluorescence (MEF)-based highly sensitive biosensor for the detection of proteolytic enzymes is proposed for the first time by using a bifunctional Au nanoparticle (AuNP), which is connected to the fluorophore by both single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and a peptide. Once caspase-3, a proteolytic enzyme, cuts the peptide specifically, the fluorescence signal is drastically increased because the ssDNA maintains an optimal distance for the MEF. The proposed sensing method shows the highly sensitive detection of caspase-3 based on just a simple enzymatic cleavage reaction within 1 h, and caspase-3-related preapoptotic cell detection was successfully carried out with high sensitivity. The proposed sensing method is a rapid, simple, and one-step technique for the real-time monitoring of intracellular proteolytic enzymes and can be applied to the early diagnosis of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.The 12th Wartburg Symposium on Flavor Chemistry &amp; Biology was held at the hotel "Auf der Wartburg" in Eisenach, Germany, from May 21 to 24, 2019. It offered a unique venue for global exchange on cutting-edge research progress in chemistry and biology of odor and taste. The focus areas were (1) chemosensory perception and signal processing, (2) flavor systems molecular decoding, interactions, and perception, (3) new computational approaches in flavor chemistry, (4) functional flavor genomics and biotechnology, (5) food-borne bioactives molecular decoding, interactions, and perception, and (6) next-generation technologies in flavor molecule and precursor discovery. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/elacestrant.html Selected from more than 250 applicants, 160 distinguished scientists and early career researches from industry and academia from 24 countries and 4 continents participated in this inspiring and multidisciplinary event. This special issue comprises a selection of 20 papers from oral presentations and poster contributions and is prefaced by this introduction paper.The valence band spectra of three cyano-ionic liquids based on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (Im2,1+) paired with thiocyanate (SCN-), dicyanamide (N(CN)2-), and tricyanomethanide (C(CN)3-) have been measured using ultraviolet and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Experimental spectra are compared to their corresponding density of states, weighted by photoemission cross sections, calculated for clusters of ions pairs of increasing size. Thus, this study bridges single ion approaches to 3D periodical DFT studies and enables the exploration of the different aspects of electronic structure establishment in ILs. Even for a relatively small cluster size, the relative energy of cation and anions states shifts by an amount that corresponds closely to that expected from the Madelung energy of a bulk IL, and the photoemission cross section-weighted DOS spectra are in good agreement with the measured valence bands. Trends in the relative energy and ionic character of the frontier orbitals across this series of cyano-ILs are discussed.Dilute ferrofluids have important applications in the separation of materials via magnetic levitation. However, dilute ferrofluids pose an additional challenge compared to concentrated ones. Migration of the magnetic nanoparticles toward a magnet is not well counteracted by a buildup of an osmotic pressure gradient, and consequently, homogeneity of the fluid is gradually lost. Here, we investigate this phenomenon by measuring and numerically modeling time-dependent concentration profiles in aqueous ferrofluids in the field of a neodymium magnet and at 10 T in a Bitter magnet. The numerical model incorporates magnetic, frictional, and osmotic forces on the particles and takes into account the polydispersity of the particles and the spatial dependence of the magnetic field. The magnetic sedimentation rate in our most stable ferrofluids can be understood in terms of the magnetophoresis of separate nanoparticles, a best-case scenario when it comes to applications.